When Peter Reid first strode through the doors of Roker Park seven years ago this week, his brief was simple - secure a First Division place for Sunderland at any cost.

The Black Cats are again starting to look towards English football's second tier. But the Nationwide League is a much less attractive proposition around Wearside nowadays than it was in 1995.

Reid was rightly lauded as a hero in these parts for steering the Rokermen clear of the Second Division and into the Premiership in little over 12 months after taking charge six years, 51 weeks and four days ago.

But in the fickle world of football even heroes can feel the heat. And after letting Southampton off the hook at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, Reid's players have ensured that the temperature continues to rise towards an uncomfortable level in the Wearside dug-out.

An unsatisfactory 1-1 draw has left the Black Cats three points above the trapdoor. Arsenal - next up for Reid and his men in their last seven matches - are likely to show little sympathy on Saturday, as they embark on the final leg of their championship charge.

With just two wins in three months, Sunderland can have few complaints about their lowly standing in the table. Neither can they bemoan the boos and heckles starting to come from their frustrated supporters on a more regular basis.

The Stadium of Light has grown used to top-flight football. But whether Sunderland can deliver a fifth Premiership season remains to be seen, with time running out.

With Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds still to face, Southampton were one of the teams Sunderland had to beat to stand any chance of pulling away from the danger-zone.

But, although Jason McAteer put the Wearsiders into a spectacular 62nd-minute lead against the run of play, Saints' substitute Jo Tessem headed a deserved equaliser for the visitors two minutes from the end.

This was the 100th league match to be played at the Stadium of Light. Rarely have the home fans felt so anxious in that century as on Saturday as Gordon Strachan's men launched a first-half onslaught on Thomas S&oslash;rensen's goal.

Brett Ormerod, Kevin Davies and Anders Svensson all came close to snatching a lead, while Sunderland were restricted to a couple of Kevin Phillips pot-shots which did little to worry Southampton keeper Paul Jones.

Phillips and Claudio Reyna made welcome returns after their recent injury problems but Swiss international Bernt Haas, whose form has been erratic in his first Premiership season, was missing.

Reid replaced the right-back with George McCartney.

But the gamble didn't work as McCartney, who is a talented left-back, struggled to adapt to life on an unfamiliar flank. The Northern Ireland international was terrorised by Chris Marsden, hardly the most frightening of Premiership widemen. McCartney paid the price at the interval when he was replaced by Joachim Bj&ouml;rklund, with Darren Williams taking over at full-back.

Sunderland looked a little more solid although it was Southampton who looked the more likely to score with Marsden drilling a shot into the side-netting and Ormerod rolling the ball along the Wearside goal line in the opening stages of the second half.

But, having hung on for just over an hour, Reid's men grabbed a surprise lead with a flash of brilliance from McAteer, who was returning from suspension.

The Republic of Ireland international, who had struck the winning goal against Bolton in the Black Cats' previous home game, picked up the ball from Gavin McCann's header and strode purposefully to the edge of the Southampton penalty area. His left-foot rocket, surely Sunderland's best goal of the campaign, left Jones with no chance and the midfielder's exuberant celebration in front of the home bench told its own story.

That the 30-year-old had become only the third player to score more than one goal for Sunderland this season shows just why the club are in such a worrying position.

And Saints' boss Strachan knew that his opponents were highly unlikely to breach the visiting defence for a second time.

Replacing Davies with Tessem hardly looked to be a positive move by the Scot. But after Marian Pahars and Paul Telfer had both threatened to level it was the Norwegian who proved to be the Black Cats' bane with a late goal.

Bj&ouml;rklund conceded a needless free-kick on 88 minutes wide on the Southampton left. Fellow Swede Svensson swung in a long cross, and Tessem nipped in front of Bj&ouml;rklund to head a deserved equaliser and spark a mass exodus of Sunderland supporters.

Many who stayed made their feelings clear, as the players trudged off to loud boos.

The result means that Reid is now facing a similar task to the one he undertook in 1995 when he took over from Mick Buxton, albeit in a higher division and with the stakes greatly raised.

Sunderland won three and drew three of their final seven games that year and a similar return in the closing weeks of this season would guarantee a fourth successive Premiership campaign at the Stadium of Light.

Facing an Arsenal side who have scored more than twice as many league goals as Sunderland this season is the last thing Reid needs.

And his seventh anniversary party on Friday seems likely to be something of a muted affair, with nobody in the mood for celebrating.